Rika’s gasps were the only sound that could be heard besides her blood slowly dripping onto the filthy wooden floor. Realising that her hands and feet were bound to the chair, she looked up, blinded by the fluorescent light above her. Her focus cleared, and she found herself staring into the eyes of a burly man seated in a backward-facing chair, sneering at her.

“Nice of you to join us finally.”

Rika spat out a mouthful of blood, never once taking her eyes off the man in front of her. He leaned back to pull his phone from his pocket and casually dialed a number. He smiled at Rika as he held the phone to his ear. Rika could hear the dialing tone, and the call was answered after three rings.

“Hello?”

“Aren’t you missing someone, Princess?” A brief pause.

“Is Rika there?” the burly man raised an eyebrow, thrown off by the lack of concern in the girl’s voice.

“She’s here all right. We’ve-”

“Can you put her on the phone?” the man licked his lips, unaware that he was frowning as he stood up and walked over to Rika, who seemed to flinch when he held the phone against her bloody cheek.

“Tell her to bring what we want to-”

The girl on the phone’s exasperated voice cut him off.

“Rika?”

Rika cleared her throat before answering.

“Yeah?”

“Stop messing around and get back here, will you? The new equipment arrived today, and we need your help putting it together. We’ve got no clue.”

Rika looked up at the man who was now staring at her with a hint of fear in his dark, beady eyes.

“Looks like I better get going," she smirked.

Immediately, the thug dropped the phone and backed away. Rika burst into flames, burning through the rope and reducing the chair to a pile of ashes. Brushing herself off, she surveyed the man who had fallen to the ground, cowering in fear.

“Better luck next time, I guess?” she shrugged, and with a lopsided grin, she shot up into the air, blasting her way through the ceiling.

Mimi embraced Rika in a tight hug as soon as she entered.

“I am so pleased to see that you are unharmed. We missed you very much.”

Rika looked past Mimi at Tristy, who was sitting cross-legged on their living room floor, holding an instruction book and wearing a sour expression.

“I don’t know why you enjoy getting yourself caught, and today of all days, look at the state of you.”

Rika shrugged as she grabbed a first aid kit from the cupboard.

“I thought I’d give them a chance, you know, humor them for a while.”

"What did they want this time anyway?"

"The Light Crystal, nothing new." Rika slumped onto the sofa, and Mimi gently pried the first-aid kit from her bloody hands.

"Thanks, Mimi."

What she wouldn't tell them, is that this time, she had been caught off-guard.